Comments on: Prison in Japan: Part 3 “Bad Cop, Good Cop” http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/ A fresh look at Japan, by gaijins for gaijins! Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:24:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: stefan http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-80632 stefan Thu, 13 Mar 2008 02:15:29 +0000 http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-80632 Rob Sullivan You guys sounds like bunch of Jackasses. they should have given you guys serious ass whopping in Japanese prison to straighten you dummies out. either way I've been locked up in Federal prison in states, your so called mistreatment is nothing compared to what American Prison have to offer. you would have a book to write and cry about. and if you hate Japan so much why are you dumb Australians still there. I'm sure Japanese would love to see you guys go back to your sorry as country anyways. Rob Sullivan

You guys sounds like bunch of Jackasses. they should have given you guys serious ass whopping in Japanese prison to straighten you dummies out.

either way I’ve been locked up in Federal prison in states, your so called mistreatment is nothing compared to what American Prison have to offer. you would have a book to write and cry about. and if you hate Japan so much why are you dumb Australians still there. I’m sure Japanese would love to see you guys go back to your sorry as country anyways.

]]> By: Yannis http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-80506 Yannis Wed, 12 Dec 2007 13:46:11 +0000 http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-80506 Mr. Mori - my wife is a translator. It is a part time job, just a few hours here and there. Her career is teaching English in public school. Translating for a lawyer isn't really a peculiar thing to do, just a good paying part time job, which is also interesting and hopefully helpful. As for requirements, she is a licensed translator and tour guide, so has had to take courses and exams. To find a translator, the lawyer looks at a list of people who have signed up with the city to offer their services. Mr. Mori - my wife is a translator. It is a part time job, just a few hours here and there. Her career is teaching English in public school. Translating for a lawyer isn’t really a peculiar thing to do, just a good paying part time job, which is also interesting and hopefully helpful. As for requirements, she is a licensed translator and tour guide, so has had to take courses and exams. To find a translator, the lawyer looks at a list of people who have signed up with the city to offer their services.

]]> By: Rob Sullivan http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-18795 Rob Sullivan Fri, 29 Jun 2007 06:34:43 +0000 http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-18795 Trying to understand why the police decide to do the things they do is unfathomable, and when you are in lockup in Japan, confusion reigns. Looking back on it now, I have a theory what happeend in my case. While me and my friend were arrested, the other two members of our group managed to escape. I was taken to the police station at about 5am, thinking that after a bit of questioning I would be allowed to go home. After about 10 hours of questioning, this hope collapsed, and I realized me and my friend were actually in a lot of trouble. Anyway, the police were trying to charge us with fraud, which is a serious offence (penalty up to 10 years in prison.) On my first day of questioning (and on subsequent days) I maintained that the reason we ran out of the karaoke parlor was not to save money, but just to have a bit of drunken fun. The police didn't buy it and they were convinced that we had planned running out in advance (thus the act was premeditated and fraud, under Japanese law.) On the 2nd day of imprisonment we were taken to a big building in downtown Tokyo (I still don't know what the building is, maybe the central police headquarters or something.) On that day we were questioned by the Public Prosecutor who basically called us a bunch of evil gaijins who were a threat to Japanese society, and then extended our detention by 10 days. When that 10 day period ran out (on the 11th day), she gave us another 5 day extension. About this time I noticed a change in her manner and attitude towards us -- the anger and disgust was gone, she started smiling and laughing at things that I said and so on. I started to get a sense then that she finally believed our story, but I didn't know why. Now I know why -- a few days before that, my Australian friend who had escaped the karaoke parlor went to the police station, and gave himself up. He told the police that running out of the karaoke parlor was all his idea and that me and the porn actor didn't know anything about it until he drunkenly said: "Lets run!" Ironically, the police didn't arrest him, even though he was begging them to put on the cuffs (I guess he had a guilty conscious.) However, he did explain the situation to the police, and it was at that point they realised that we were not professional fraudsters, but merely drunken jackasses. There is a big difference between the two. They gave us another 5 days inside to teach us a lesson, and then they let us go. Trying to understand why the police decide to do the things they do is unfathomable, and when you are in lockup in Japan, confusion reigns. Looking back on it now, I have a theory what happeend in my case. While me and my friend were arrested, the other two members of our group managed to escape. I was taken to the police station at about 5am, thinking that after a bit of questioning I would be allowed to go home. After about 10 hours of questioning, this hope collapsed, and I realized me and my friend were actually in a lot of trouble. Anyway, the police were trying to charge us with fraud, which is a serious offence (penalty up to 10 years in prison.) On my first day of questioning (and on subsequent days) I maintained that the reason we ran out of the karaoke parlor was not to save money, but just to have a bit of drunken fun. The police didn’t buy it and they were convinced that we had planned running out in advance (thus the act was premeditated and fraud, under Japanese law.)
On the 2nd day of imprisonment we were taken to a big building in downtown Tokyo (I still don’t know what the building is, maybe the central police headquarters or something.) On that day we were questioned by the Public Prosecutor who basically called us a bunch of evil gaijins who were a threat to Japanese society, and then extended our detention by 10 days. When that 10 day period ran out (on the 11th day), she gave us another 5 day extension. About this time I noticed a change in her manner and attitude towards us — the anger and disgust was gone, she started smiling and laughing at things that I said and so on. I started to get a sense then that she finally believed our story, but I didn’t know why.
Now I know why — a few days before that, my Australian friend who had escaped the karaoke parlor went to the police station, and gave himself up. He told the police that running out of the karaoke parlor was all his idea and that me and the porn actor didn’t know anything about it until he drunkenly said: “Lets run!” Ironically, the police didn’t arrest him, even though he was begging them to put on the cuffs (I guess he had a guilty conscious.) However, he did explain the situation to the police, and it was at that point they realised that we were not professional fraudsters, but merely drunken jackasses. There is a big difference between the two. They gave us another 5 days inside to teach us a lesson, and then they let us go.

]]> By: Richmond http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-18737 Richmond Fri, 29 Jun 2007 00:53:29 +0000 http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-18737 Rob, Thanks for the words of warning. For reference, how come they let you out after only 16 days and didn't make you stay the full 23 days like George? You (or your porn star friend) must have a great lawyer? Rob, Thanks for the words of warning. For reference, how come they let you out after only 16 days and didn’t make you stay the full 23 days like George? You (or your porn star friend) must have a great lawyer?

]]> By: Rob Sullivan http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-18611 Rob Sullivan Thu, 28 Jun 2007 06:39:06 +0000 http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-18611 I just finished a 16-day stint in a ryuchijo detention center in west Tokyo, after me and my buddy (believe it or not he's a porn actor!) got arrested trying to run out of a karaoke parlor without paying for the bill. I know we acted stupidly, but 16 days! The penalty far exceeded the crime, and while in lockup I met a lot of Japanese criminals who received more lenient sentences for what I would consider worse offences (for example, molesting women on trains.) Anyway, it all ended up okay, but it was touch and go there for a while. In a way, I am kind of glad I got to see a glimpse of another side of Japan -- the side of Japan they try to keep secret (the control by the bureaucracy, for example, the lack of democracy and accountability in the bureaucracy.) I just reckon that Japanese police would love to be able to bust gaijin more often, but they are not allowed to (for example) stop foreigners walking down the street, thanks to the work of Debito and others. However, if you are a gaijin and you do something technically illegal, the police are then free to throw the book at you. And they will throw the book at you -- repeatedly. You have just given them the lucky break they have been waiting for -- the chance to take out a gaijin! Take it from me, if you are arrested in Japan, assume that you are going to be lockup for at least a week or two. Don't answer any questions asked by police on your first day at the police station -- exercise your right to silence. After 2 or 3 days your lawyer will arrive and it is then you have to decide what angle you should take vis-a-vis explaining your case to the police. If you are threatened with violence (or have violence inflicted on you in lockup), inform your embassy straight away -- they will come in to bat for you. The most important thing to remember is, they can keep you in lockup for up to 23 days -- deal with that, accept that as your fate, and instead of trying to get out early by being cooperative, exercise your right to silence. Your lawyer knows best, and he or she will be on your side. I just finished a 16-day stint in a ryuchijo detention center in west Tokyo, after me and my buddy (believe it or not he’s a porn actor!) got arrested trying to run out of a karaoke parlor without paying for the bill. I know we acted stupidly, but 16 days! The penalty far exceeded the crime, and while in lockup I met a lot of Japanese criminals who received more lenient sentences for what I would consider worse offences (for example, molesting women on trains.)

Anyway, it all ended up okay, but it was touch and go there for a while. In a way, I am kind of glad I got to see a glimpse of another side of Japan — the side of Japan they try to keep secret (the control by the bureaucracy, for example, the lack of democracy and accountability in the bureaucracy.) I just reckon that Japanese police would love to be able to bust gaijin more often, but they are not allowed to (for example) stop foreigners walking down the street, thanks to the work of Debito and others. However, if you are a gaijin and you do something technically illegal, the police are then free to throw the book at you. And they will throw the book at you — repeatedly. You have just given them the lucky break they have been waiting for — the chance to take out a gaijin!

Take it from me, if you are arrested in Japan, assume that you are going to be lockup for at least a week or two. Don’t answer any questions asked by police on your first day at the police station — exercise your right to silence. After 2 or 3 days your lawyer will arrive and it is then you have to decide what angle you should take vis-a-vis explaining your case to the police. If you are threatened with violence (or have violence inflicted on you in lockup), inform your embassy straight away — they will come in to bat for you. The most important thing to remember is, they can keep you in lockup for up to 23 days — deal with that, accept that as your fate, and instead of trying to get out early by being cooperative, exercise your right to silence. Your lawyer knows best, and he or she will be on your side.

]]> By: BabyYakuza http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-12461 BabyYakuza Fri, 08 Jun 2007 16:47:42 +0000 http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-12461 Prision in Japan Series are tottaly awsome Prision in Japan Series are tottaly awsome

]]> By: Living Lonely » Journal of an American in Japanese prison (parts 3-5) http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-5570 Living Lonely » Journal of an American in Japanese prison (parts 3-5) Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:10:01 +0000 http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-5570 [...] Part 3, George describes the experience of the “classic good-cop, bad-cop routine,” as two [...] [...] Part 3, George describes the experience of the “classic good-cop, bad-cop routine,” as two [...]

]]> By: Boing Boing http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-5567 Boing Boing Thu, 22 Mar 2007 18:37:35 +0000 http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-5567 <strong>Journal of an American in Japanese prison (parts 3-5)...</strong> Here's parts 3-5 of a fascinating first-hand account of being jailed in Japan, by "George," a 36-year-old American living in Japan with his wife and two young children. George wrote the journal while spending a few weeks in a Japanese Ryuchijyo ("P... Journal of an American in Japanese prison (parts 3-5)…

Here’s parts 3-5 of a fascinating first-hand account of being jailed in Japan, by “George,” a 36-year-old American living in Japan with his wife and two young children. George wrote the journal while spending a few weeks in a Japanese Ryuchijyo (”P…

]]> By: Blue http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-2987 Blue Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:52:49 +0000 http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-2987 Yes Roy.. I am just getting it ready now actually.. Give me a day or two. Otanoshimini... Thanks for reading! Yes Roy.. I am just getting it ready now actually.. Give me a day or two. Otanoshimini…
Thanks for reading!

]]> By: roy http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-2986 roy Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:46:59 +0000 http://www.stippy.com/japan-life/gaijin-in-a-japanese-prison-3/#comment-2986 Is there going to be a part four? I feel like I need more. Is there going to be a part four? I feel like I need more.

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